Hives/allergies and acceptance question....

Wonderfulmom

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Nov 11, 2015
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Hi. Can someone be accepted to the Coast Guard Academy if they have chronic hives and take XYZAL to keep them away? It is considered a non-sedating antihistamine. Thanks...
 
Most likely you will be medically disqualified, but allergies are waiverable. If they want you they could request a waver.

You will never know unless you apply and go through the DodMerb process.
 
Hmm! She is getting ready to apply, so do you apply for a waiver at the same time, or wait until they DQ you or what?
 
Most likely you will be medically disqualified, but allergies are waiverable. If they want you they could request a waver.

You will never know unless you apply and go through the DodMerb process.
When do you apply for the waiver though? How do they know they want you? Do they say "accepted, pending waiver?"
 
Mom -- you first apply to USCGA. Once you complete what they consider a significant amount of the application, and once they determine you meet a minimum standard (usually academics), they will schedule the medical exam for your DD. Then the roller coaster starts. If she is found "qualified" by DoDMERB per the regulation (gave you the link above) then hooray!!!!. If there are questions, DoDMERB may ask for more exams, tests, etc.. If they DQ her, the USCGA will be notified and they will determine whether to seek a medical waiver for her. They typically do not seek a waiver for everyone. Typically only for those candidate that they want to offer an appointment. Whether a waiver is recommended/granted is determined by the USCGA medical authorities
 
Thanks. Scary for her to go through all of that and be DQ'd just for hives when she is brilliant, athletic, excellent in Math and all of the other qualities they usually seek (athletic, etc.).
 
Thanks. Scary for her to go through all of that and be DQ'd just for hives when she is brilliant, athletic, excellent in Math and all of the other qualities they usually seek (athletic, etc.).

It can be very frustrating to see something like hives have the potential (focus on that word) to stop the whole process.

Smaller Navy and Coast Guard ships do not have doctors or nurses aboard. They typically have well-trained medical corpsmen, enlisted personnel who have an advanced blend of EMT training, certified for independent duty aboard ship. Amazing professionals. They can even do some basic emergency dentistry.

Aircraft carriers have doctors and medical suites, but a carrier is not always steaming next door. A simple medical condition ashore that is a quick 911 call from the ER in case of a severe reaction, is different in the context of being well out to sea and out of reach of a medevac helo.

For all the services, that is why so much attention is paid to pre-existing conditions, including wisdom teeth, that could become life-threatening at sea or in remote duty stations or in a combat zone where every body is needed. A food service contractor might have prepared frozen fried chicken tenderloins in peanut oil. Transiting the Pacific Ocean is not the time or place to go into anaphylactic shock. Shipboard operations have enough work-related accidents/injuries and breakouts of Foreign Port Quickstep gut flu to keep the corpsmen/medics busy.

All you can do is work through the remedials, designed to give the deciding authority a good picture of the condition and whether it would pose a problem in the operational environment, and hope a waiver is requested and granted.
 
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